Three more Hurriyat constituents disassociate from separatism, commit to Constitution of India

So far six constituents of Hurriyat Conference have walked out of the separatist amalgam, asserting it has failed to live up to the expectations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar: With Union Home Minister Amit Shah on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, three more separatist groups on Monday formally distanced themselves from the Hurriyat Conference while reaffirming their commitment to the Constitution of India.

Bashir Ahmad Andrabi, the Chairman of KKF, Mohammad Yousuf Naqash, Chairman of the Islamic Political Party, and Hakeem Abdul Rashid, Chairman of the Muslim Democratic League, in separate statements said they don’t have “any ties whatsoever” with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) or any other separatist faction operating in Kashmir.

“We strongly oppose the ideology of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, as it has failed to effectively address the aspirations and grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Andrabi said in the declaration.

“My organisation and I are dedicated to upholding the Constitution of India. We do not affiliate with any group that works against the interests of India,” he affirmed.

Similarly, Naqash said he has no connection or affiliation whatsoever with Hurriyat, its members, or any other entity pursuing a separatist agenda.

“We firmly disassociate ourselves from the ideology of APHC, as it has failed to address the aspirations and grievances of people in Jammu and Kashmir effectively. Any use of my name or that of my organisation in connection with APHC or its factions will be met with legal consequences on our part. I am a loyal citizen of India, and both my organisation and I owe allegiance to the Constitution of India,” he said in a statement.

Hakim, in a statement, said: “Any use of my name or that of my organisation in connection with APHC or its factions will be met with legal consequences on our part. I am a loyal citizen of India, and both my organisation and I owe allegiance to the Constitution of India.”

So far, eight constituents of the Hurriyat Conference have walked out of the separatist amalgam, asserting it has failed to live up to the expectations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

J&K Tehreek-i-Istiqlal (the movement for independence), J&K Freedom Movement, J&K Democratic Movement, J&K People’s Movement, and J&K Salvation Movement renounced separatism last month. At that time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that “separatism has become history in Kashmir” and asserted that it will strengthen India’s unity.

In September last year, J&K National Party chief Syed Salim Gilani, a former functionary of the Hurriyat Conference, had quit the separatist camp to join mainstream politics.

The decision of Hurriyat constituents to distance themselves from separatist ideologies could mark a significant turning point for the separatist conglomerate. The Hurriyat Conference, which includes various separatist organisations in Kashmir, has long been accused by the government of supporting separatism and militancy, leading to crackdowns on its leaders and finances in recent years.

These developments come shortly after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) imposed a five-year ban on the Mirwaiz Umer Farooq-led Awami Action Committee (AAC) and J&K Ittihadul Muslimeen (JKIM), led by Shia leader Masroor Ansari, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The ban was imposed for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities, supporting terrorism, and inciting secessionist sentiments in the Union Territory.